 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2005-08-05 02:52
Those of you who play in orchestras, could you please tell me, on average, about how many hours of rehearsal you have for each concert. Also, whether your orchestra is a (volunteer) community orchestra, a (professional) regional orchestra (e.g., a per service orchestra), a major (professional) orchestra, etc. I'll start it off. I play in two volunteer community orchestras, a recreational one and a more serious one. The recreational one, which might ramp up to a Dvorak Symphony at its outer limits, averages around 18 hours of rehearsal per concert (but ranges from 14 to over 20). The serious one (this year's season includes Mahler No.1, the Firebird Suite and Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe) averages about 10 - 12 hours per concert.
Thanks in advance.
jnk
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-08-05 04:56
Here's mine:
1. The New York Pops;
1 three hour rehearsal, and an 8:00 concert (same day).
Occasionally a 10:30-1 the day before, followed by Friday & Saturday nights at 8:00.
2. The American Composer's Orchestra (NYC);
4 three hour rehearsals, with one concert the night of the dress rehearsal.
3. The Westchester Philharmonic (NY);
3 three and one half hour rehearsals, with two concerts at 8:00 on Saturday, and 3:00 on Sunday.
4. The Little Orchestra Society (NYC);
1 two and one half hour rehearsal, with 2 "back to back concerts" on Saturday and Sunday mornings each (total 4 concerts).
5. The American Symphony Orchestra;
5 three hour rehearsals, with one concert at 8:00.
6. The New York Philharmonic;
4 two and one half hour rehearsals, with 3 concerts, one on Thursday at 7:30, Friday at 2:00, and Saturday at 8:00.
These are all professional orchestras with regular rosters of players.
PS Jingles and film score dates do not rehearse, just show up and sight read the part that day. Usually it's 1 hour for a jingle, and 3 hours for each film date (2 three hour sessions a day, for up to 5 days, total 10 dates, or 30 hours for a major US film).
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
Post Edited (2005-08-05 04:58)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-08-05 05:53
My community orchestra practices (as opposed to rehearsal) 2-hours/week 9-months out of the year. Summer is teachers' time off, and the orch takes time out.
We get paranoid before concerts and toss in a couple extra practices.
We perform in public twice a year.
AND, I just got back from listening to the Spokane Symphony; we're pretty pale in their light!
Our swing band has a huge (like 400+) charts. We work on them 2 hours/week year around. We have some snowbird members, who head south for the sun in the winter, so personnel is somewhat unstable. We've given a concert every week or two over the summer.
Our wind quintet gets together to read and select pieces to rehearse. We're too new to know where we're going; and we'll have to replace our fluter when college starts for her at the end of the month. We're satisfied with making a few passages play in tune and together every week.
Bob Phillips
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Author: marcia
Date: 2005-08-05 07:01
My community orchestra has approximately 6-8 rehearsal for each concert. Rehearsal is 2.5 hours, excluding break. There never seems to be enough time, but we always pull it off in the end.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-05 14:42
My professional orchestra has eliminated all rehearsals due to budget restraints. We sight read right at the concerts.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-08-05 15:38
The Corpus Christi Chamber Orchestra (all volunteer) did 4 concerts in the past year (academic year since we're associated with the local community college). We rehearse on Thursdays for two hours. Two of them were "easy" concerts prepped with about 4 rehearsals. The most demanding concert was prepped over the spring semester, January to April, probably about 10 rehearsals. Programs this year included Haydn 104, Bizet L'Arlesienne No 1., assorted overtures like Titus and Egmont, and some easy-peasy watered down arrangements of Academic Festival and other stuff when we had local schoolkids join us during the college's summer string camp.
In the past we've tackled Beethoven 2 and 8, Schubert 3, Mozart 40, and the first movement of the Weber 2 clarinet concerto.
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: John O'Janpa
Date: 2005-08-05 15:40
The college Wind Symphony I'm in, composed of college students, advanced high school students, and some community members (mostly local high and middle school band directors) averages about 11 practices, 1 sectional, and
1 dress rehearsal per concert. These combined are approximately 20 hours.
We do two concerts per semester.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-08-05 18:15
Oh, I HATE to go to a concert and find that the players are sightreading --or sound like it.
It happens far to often!
Bob Phillips
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-08-05 19:03
CSULB University Orchestra: 4-5 weeks, three 90-minute rehearsals a week, two performances per concert. So about 20 hours, 1/3 of which is usually sectionals of some sort. Concerts are generally repertoire-heavy, often seems rushed.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: missclarinetist
Date: 2005-08-06 08:29
I was involved in an opera production and orchestra rehearsals start in early spring until the performance in early May. This is a college orchestra I currently play for at college, and so we meet daily from 7-11pm, a four hour rehearsal every day with the opera. I still have the opera fresh in my memory since last semester! In my home university orchestra back home, we practice three hours each rehearsal and meet twice a week.
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Author: ClariBone
Date: 2005-08-07 01:10
Fiddler on the Roof at a local college: 20hrs.
School Orchestra and band: 25-50 hrs.
Rushing home everyday from the highschool to practice: timeless!!!
Clayton
Post Edited (2005-08-07 14:13)
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2005-08-07 01:51
I play in a per service orchestra. We will also play Mahler 1st and Daphnis and Chloe this season. We rehearse the week of the concert, 5 rehearsals of 2 1/2 hours each, or 12 1/2 hours. One of the rehearsals is strings only. Our conductor flies in from Spain, so that is why the concentrated week of rehearsals.
johng
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Author: K.B.M
Date: 2005-08-07 04:39
I am involved in a Youth Orchestra, and we have about 6-8 practices before a concert. We meet every Sunday for 2 1/2 hours, and perform 3 concerts.
Katie
Post Edited (2005-08-07 04:40)
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2005-08-11 04:08
I've been out of town (and pretty much out-of-touch with the board) since Saturday. Thanks to all of you who provided input.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: marzi
Date: 2005-08-11 14:52
Community orchestra- 2 hrs a week, from Sept-Dec, but we have an average of 3 concerts starting in late Nov thru middle of Dec.
Than the same type of thing from Jan to May.
And we probably still sound like we are sight reading at times...because not everybody will take their parts home and practice.
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Author: Jen L.
Date: 2005-08-11 18:19
My community orchestra (more recreational than serious) has eight rehearsals of ~2.5 hrs each for each concert, and there are three regular concerts a year, plus a holiday pops and a summer pops concert. We get December, July, and August off.
Jen L.
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